I've conversed at some length with at least 3 dozen folks on this site over the years and 4 of them were employed at the level you'd consider professional (market maker, floor trader, 6-figure salary prop trader, HFT). The rest were individuals desiring to trade for a living or trading for a living on their own. The pros wanted to know about technical analysis because of edges that dissolved. The successful retail traders based their trading plans on technical analysis. The fact that Surf may be well-connected to people who manage millions or billions of dollars* in no way qualifies him to guide aspiring individual retail traders to a profitable method. He hasn't provided the slightest insight into how one might accomplish this goal. * and if they lose money or even blow up totally, they still make money personally, and end up starting another fund later on.
He has his own proprietary trading signals. They are called price drivers, or PD's, and they are revolutionary. I think the power of the PD's has been proven in this thread as he has made some very timely and powerful calls.
Guys, wow... You all are apparently smoking the same crack surf is...time for rehab. I'm from the same area as surf and have very close friends in hedge funds, banking management , etc...in no way has any of their edge been shared. Being in the business means shit. Only way you are gonna make money is work hard ...not from posting nonstop theater. I will give surf this.. he certainly works hard.........> here at et!
When I was a misguided noob trading a "price-driver" sort of strategy (there was no TA or indicators involved at all and I knew nothing about candlestick charts at the time), I made some powerful and timely trades, too. I had no losing trades for 3 months. It worked great until it didn't. I've yet to see common price action tactics stop working. The key word in your quote above is "some".
We find the annual report of OVTI to be very compelling. http://www.ovt.com/uploads/annualreport/OmniVision_Technologies,_Inc._2013_Annual_Report_v1.pdf